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Sky and Amazon US unite for new Roman warrior drama Britannia

Sky and Amazon US have joined forces to create a new original drama series, Britannia.

Britannia is a new ten-part series that follows the Roman Imperial Army in 43AD as they prepare to crush the Celtic Britannia, a mysterious land unlike any they have ever known – where female warriors run wild and druids can raise creatures of the underworld to do their bidding.

Written by the award-winning Jez Butterworth, the series stars Kelly Reilly, David Morrissey, Zoë Wanamaker and Stanley Weber. It is currently filming in Prague and Wales and will premiere on Sky 1 in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the US from 2017.

Britannia marks the first time Sky and Amazon US have collaborated on a new show.

Butterworth said: “Besides being hard, hard warriors, the Celts have a belief system which makes them almost invincible. It’s a deep, heavy magic.

“Last time the Romans tried to invade, the mighty Julius Caesar took one look, turned round and went straight home. Now, almost a century later, the Romans are back.

“I’m fascinated in what happens when gods die. When an entire, ancient faith stalls, topples, collapses – and a whole new one grows in its place. New names, new faces, to suit the new times.

“Here we have a war between two pantheons – the Roman gods v the Celtic gods. It’s the Heavyweight Clash of All Time, the one which most shapes who we are today. And we see it all from a human perspective, of individual survival, ambition, courage, lust, loss, revenge. All the stuff the gods have always loved us humans for the most!”

Kelly Reilly said: “I am thrilled to be joining the production of Britannia, a story rooted in the heart of our ancient history.

“Collaborating with great creative minds is what I love most about my job, and having one of Britain’s leading playwrights, Jez Butterworth, come on board to bring Celtic Britain alive has made this a fiercely exciting project. The vision is big and bold and beautiful, and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty.”